CA3000 Database backup procedure Note: It is highly recommended to make a copy of your databases and get them off the computer as a backup. A Continental dealer should perform this procedure and extreme caution must be taken to prevent the deletion of a database. The following document explains how to detach your databases, so you have the ability to make a backup of them. We recommend burning a copy of the databases on to a CD or on to a network drive. This is highly recommended in case of a computer crash. This procedure must be performed on a CardAccess 3000 Host, not a workstation. This procedure isn t necessary if you have the full SQL 2000 with backup tools. In most cases, backing up your live database will be sufficient. Your live database consists of your configuration data (panels, readers, schedules, access groups, inputs, relays and badges). It is mandatory you have this database backed up, if you want to recover from a crash. If you chose to back up your archive databases, you will need to detach them along with your live database. During this procedure, you will be using the database utility in CA3000. You will need to detach the databases you want to backup before trying to copy them from the Program Files/CardAccess3000/Database folder. Since you must always be connected to a database at all times, you must create a temp database and connect to it while detaching the databases you wish to backup. 1. Verify the CA3000 is completely shut down including the CIC Data server and the communications driver.
2. Go to Start/Programs/CardAccess 3000/Tools/CardAccess Database utility. If you are prompted for a password, enter pr1532 (Do not type in the quotes). Click OK. (Refer to figure 1.) Figure 1. 3. Verify the database utility displays (Refer to fig 2). Also verify you have the correct Database Server Name and Database Name configured. The database name in the Database Name box, is the database you are currently connected to. In most cases, this is your live database and is the most important database to backup. Figure 2. 4. Click on the Create Database tab. In the Select a name for your new database box, enter temp (Refer to figure 3). Click the Create Database button. After the database is created, verify the message box displays The database temp has been created (Refer to figure 4). Click OK.
Figure 3. Figure 4. 5. As stated previously, you must detach the databases you want to back up. In order to detach your databases, you will need to connect to your temp database. While on the Database Connection tab, click the down arrow on the Database Name box and select your temp database (Refer to figure 5). Now click Save Settings. A message box will display Your settings have been saved! (Refer to figure 6). Click OK. Figure 5.
Figure 6. 6. Now you need to detach the databases you would like to backup. You must detach one database at a time. To detach a database, click on the Detach Database tab. While on the Detach Database tab, click the down arrow on the Database Name box and select the database you want to detach (Refer to Figure 7). Now, click the Detach Database button. If the database was successfully detached, you will get a message box displaying Database was successfully detached (Refer to figure 8). If there were errors detaching, you will get a message box displaying While trying to detach the database, there were errors (Refer to figure 9). If there were errors, it could be for a few reasons. The first being, you didn t wait long enough for the SQL database engine to release control of it. Wait a few minutes and try again. If you still get the same error, you should exit out of the database utility and restart it. Click OK. Repeat this step to detach all additional databases you wish to backup. Figure 7. Figure 8.
Figure 9. 7. After successfully detaching the databases you want to backup, you are now able to copy the files associated with each database and burn them to a CD or copy them to a network drive. There are 2 files associated with each database you detached. To find these files, you need to use Windows Explorer and navigate to the Program Files/CardAccess3000/Database folder. You will see two files in there beginning with your database name and ending with.ldf and. MDF (Refer to figure 10). These are the 2 files you need to burn to a CD or copy to a network drive. (NOTE: BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO DELETE THESE FILES DURING THE COPY/PASTE PROCESS). Figure 10.
8. After successfully copying these files, you must re-attach the databases. To re-attach the databases, click on the Attach Database tab in the database utility. While on the Attach Database tab, type the name of the database in the Select a name for the database box. Enter in only the database name excluding the _Data.MDF and _Log.LDF. For the files ca22livedb07122005_data.mdf and Ca22LiveDB07122005_Log.LDF, you would enter Ca22LiveDB07122005 (Refer to figure 11). After entering the database name, click the Attach Database button. After clicking the Attach Database button, a message box will display Database was successfully attached. Do you want to use this database as the database for CardAccess3000?. If this is your live database and you want to use it for CA3000, click Yes (Refer to figure 12). If this is an archive database, click No. If you clicked Yes, you will receive a message box displaying Your settings have been saved (Refer to figure 13). Click OK. Reminder, there is only one database connected at any time and this is usually the live database. The connected database is the database CA3000 will use when it loads. Repeat this step for all databases you need to reattach. Figure 11. Figure 12.
Figure 13. 9. Click Database Connection tab. Verify the database name in the Select a name for the database box is the database you want to use for CA3000. If this is correct, click the Save Settings button. Verify a message box displays Your settings have been saved (Refer to figure 14). Click OK. You have completed the process of backing up your databases. To exit out of the database utilities, click Exit. You are now ready to restart CA3000. Figure 14.